Work illuminating device for portable electrically operated cleaners



Jan. 7, 1941.

J. J. McABE ErAL WORK ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR PORTABLE ELECTRICALLY OERA'IED CLEANERS F-iled Dec.

31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Jou/v J NS CARE ARTHUR; la( 55nfflgf f? Luv' ATTOR Jan. 7, 1941.

J.J. MCCABE EI'AL WORK ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR PORTABLEVELECTRICALLY OPERATED CLEANERS Filed Dec. 51, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l, mi

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Patented Jan. 7, (i941 ma? und WRE. RLLUMXNATNG BEVECE FR PRT- ABLE ELECTRCTLLY PHERATED @LEAN- ERS '.iohn 3. McCabe, Euclid, and Arthur W. Seyiried, Shaker Heights, hio, assignors to The Apex 'Electrical Manufacturing Company, Qievelland,

hio, a corporation oi @bio Application December 3l, i936, Seriai No. 118,512

3. maires.

which was died in the United States Patent` @moe on June 30, 1933.

The invention has for its objects the provision o of a casing structure which is arranged for the accommodation of a work illuminating lamp; the provision of a guard member for protecting the lamp against injury, the casing structure and guard member having cooperating provisions to L5 permit the ready removal o the guard member whereby access may be had to the lamp; and the provision of built-in means for the accommodation and support of a work illuminating lamp in a device of the class described, which means are designed to enhance rather than to detract from tbe appearance of the machine.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent and better understood after consideration has been given to the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with l the drawings which show, merely by way of illustration, structure adapted for carrying out the objects o the invention.

In the drawings, Figure i is an axial sectionall m view of a suction sweeper illustrating one mode of practicing the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the lamp and its socket; Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view, taken on line 3 3,

Figure 1; Figure 4 is a detailsectional view, taken 35 on line :ll-fl, Figure 2; Figure 5 is a detail sectional view, taken on line lil-"d, Figure 2; Figure 6 is a reduced side elevational view of the motor cap of the casing; Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line L Figure 8; Figure 8 is a detail side elevational view of a modiiied form of headlight; Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken on line i-L Figure 7; Figure 10 is a sectional View, taken 1 on line iii-it, Figure 7; Figure il is a perspective view of the reector of the headlight shown w in Figures 7 to 10; Figure i2 is a reduced side elevational view of the iront of a sweeper einm ploying the headlight shown in Figures '7 to 10; and Figure 13 is a reduced side elevational view of the lamp socket employed in the structure shownin Figures 7 to 9.

A suction sweeper, such as shown in Figure 1, has been selected merely for the purpose of Iillustrating the invention. The appliance shown in this view has a casing comprising an upper ex- 55 posed shell l` which dnes in part, a chamber for (Ci. 2Min-2) a brush 2 and a case for a ian 3. An electric motor i is provided for driving the brush and the ian. The brush is connected to the motor by means ci a belt t. A wall section t cooperates with the shell part l to complete the fan cham ber and a cover plate cooperates with the wall section 5 to complete the suction chamber. The

cover plate l is removably held in place by means oi a thumb screw il and it provides a means for detachably securing a brush guard i@ in place over the suction mouth o the sweeper.

Wheels il and i?. are provided for supporting the casing. The motor i is enclosed by a motor cap or housing i3 which completes the top part of the casing. The motor il is carried on a plate lt and is flexibly secured in the casing by means of rubber gaskets it which are clamped between the shell part i and the motor housing iii of the casing. The motor d does not contact the housing i3 at any point and because of its flexible securenient, it is free to move a slight amount Within such housing.

At its *forward side, the motor housing i3 is provided with a ledge it having an aperture i1 which forms a socket for receiving the neck of an `electric lamp iii. The aperture il is notched at 2@ for receiving the locking pins 2l of the lamp.

Beneath the aperture il there is located a conv nector 2t having a pair of lamp engaging contacts 23, adaptedto be connected to current supplying conductors it which may be connected to the source of current supply for the motor and preferably in series with the motor.

The side of the motor housing behind the lamp it is recessed to form a light reflector 25. Grooves are formed at the opposite edg'es of the reflector iid for slidably receiving the edges 2t of a lamp' guard 227 which is removably secured to the casing by such means. The lamp guard may be provided With light ,transmitting glass windows 28, as shown in Figure 3, and if desired, the glass 1panes oi the Window may, of course, be omitted. The provisions for the work illuminating lamp and its guard are designed so that they may be applied to the casing structure without marring its appearance, and in the present caseythe provision of the lamp receptacle and the lamp guard really enhance the appearance of the device by giving the casing a stream-lined appearance.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figures '7 to i3, the lamp is carried by a motor cap or housing i3d similar to the motor housing i3 previously described. In the'latter arrangement, a lamp socket 3i is secured in any suit able manner, such as, by bolts 32 to the upper portion of the forward side of the housing Ila. The lamp socketI 3| has a cap portion 3|a with downward tabs 3|b. The cap 3|a forms a protective enclosure for the treminal connectionsof the lamp and the tabs 3|b, which are received in recesses 3 Ic, provide means for rigidly securing the socket parts3| and3 lato each other. An electric lamp 33 is suspended from the lamp socket 3|. Current is furnished to the lamp by way of a cord 34, the strands of which may be connected to the contact members of the lamp socket 3| and to the current supply line of the motor, as previously described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figure 1.

The bol-ts 32 are also used to secure the upper end of a sheet metal nei'lector .35 in place behind the lamp 33. The lower end of the reector is secured tothe motor housing by any sultable means, such as drive screws 36. The ver-vv tical edges 31 of the reflector cooperate with fthe side o'f the motor housing to form guide slots for a pair of guide plates 38 which ane secured by means of rivets or drive screws 40 to an apertured lamp guard member 4|. provision just described, the guard member 4| may be detached from` the motor housing |3a in much the same manner as for the guard member 21.

In the modification shown in Figures 7 to 10, the location of the lamp socket above the damp instead of below it, permits the concealing of the socket beneath the imperi-crate top part of the guard member M and this.form of construction also permits the full use of the illuminated portion of the lamp. In addition to enhancing the appearance, the locating of the socket in the position shown, permits the suspending off the lamp from its socket end, and in devices such as the type shown, which are subject to considerable vibration, it has been found that the life of the lamp is ,increased when it is mounted in this manner.

While it is preferred to mount the lamp with its axis substantially vertical, it is ito be understood that the lamp may be mounted with its axis horizontally disposed, in which case the lamp socket wound be positioned at one side of the reflector instead of at .the top or bottom as sho-wn and the Idimensions of the casing parts about the lamp would be changed slightly to accommodate the lamp and its socket when mounted in this manner.

The foregoing description and the accompany- `ing drawings .to which it relates, describe what Because of the ly of the axis of said lamp socket and having vertical edge portions spaced from the casing structure and defining therewith a pair of guideways. and a Ilamp guard having tongue portions adapted to be received in said guideways to removably secure the guard to the casing structure.

2. In a portable suc-tion cleaner, a unitary casing `structure comprising a suction nozzle, fan case and motor housing with a suction mouth and a discharge outlet. the interior of said casing being otherwise substantially closed to the atmosphere, said casing structure having a removable section with iight-transmitting provisions dening an exterior lamp compartment or cavity closed off from the interior of the casing structure and'looat'ed forwardly of the motor housing and above and behind 'the suction mouth of the cleaner, said motor housing and said removable section provided with vertically extending overlapping portions to provide separation between said section and housing upon relative vertical movement, a lamp in said lamp compar-tment for illuminating the space in front of the cleaner, and means for connecting said lamp to a source ot electric current.

3. In a portable suction cleaner, a unitary casing structure comprising a suction nozzle, fan case and motor housing with a suction mouth and a discharge outlet, the interior of said casing being otherwise substantially closed to theY atmosphere, said casing structure having 'a removable section with an imperforate top part and light-transmitting provisions therebenealth derining an exterior lamp compartment or cavity closed on from the interior of the casing structure and located forwardly of the motor housing and above and behind .the suction mouth oi the cleaner, a member carried by said motor housing having vertical edge portions spa-ced from the housing and defining therewith a pair of guideways, said removable section having tongue portions adapted to be received in said guideways to removably secure the section to the housing, a lamp in said lamp compartment for illuminating the space in front of the cleaner, and means for connecting said 'lamp .to a source of electric current.

JOHN J. MoCABE.

ARTHUR. W. SEYFRIED. 

